Congress

Boehner, Cantor Want to Meet With Obama Before Speech

The two top House GOP leaders are asking President Obama to call a “bipartisan, bicameral” meeting with House and Senate leaders before his speech to Congress on Thursday to discuss cooperation on jobs legislation and other items to spur the economy.

In a letter dated Tuesday, Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., note their request comes amid reports that Obama intends to unveil his own “jobs” agenda.

They suggest there may be several potential areas for “common ground," even as they complain that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has refused to allow many of the jobs-related measures passed by the House to come up for a Senate vote.

The two also reiterate in their letter that House Republicans have themselves already announced a legislative calendar for the fall with a heavy focus on the repeal of regulations, and that they will continue to push to reduce those that are “hampering job growth in our country.”

They write that they “appreciate” Obama’s announcement on Friday asking the EPA to withdraw its new draft ozone standards. But they say it is “critical” that such actions not stop there and hope that Obama, prior to his scheduled address to a joint session of the Senate and House on Thursday night, will “disclose the cost estimates” for what they say are 212 other regulatory actions still in the works by his administration.

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They also write that they want to eliminate a law that requires states to set aside 10 percent of their surface-transportation funds for future transportation enhancements, suggesting they still oppose a new stimulus, and call on Obama to introduce free-trade bills.

“Obviously achieving bipartisan agreement on these and other initiatives requires more than just one side declaring a proposal to be 'bipartisan,' ” write the two House Republican leaders. “It requires that we work together. As such, we would suggest that prior to your address to Congress you convene a bipartisan, bicameral meeting of the Congressional leadership so that we may have the opportunity to constructively discuss your proposals.”

There was no immediate plan from the White House to hold such a meeting before the president's speech on Thursday.